Sat., Aug. 4, 2007 - AjaxTrans

AjaxTranshttp://ajax.parish.ath.cx/translator/From the site:“Start typing any text you want to be translated into the first box. The words should be automatically translated into the language of your choice and appear in the lower box.”

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Thurs., Aug. 2, 2007 - midomi: identify a song by its tune

Site found in:NEAT NEW STUFF, APRIL 13, 2007

midomihttp://www.midomi.com/A web service, still in beta, aims to help with one of the hardestreference questions: identifying an unknown song when you only know thetune. Hum it into your microphone, or, if you think you know the artist,search its catalog of song samples.

Ludwig Van Beethoven - The Magnificent Masterhttp://www.raptusassociation.org/index.htmlSite includes:“This biography is dedicated to exploring the life of this most unique genius in an endeavor to discover more of the man behind the music,…a thorough overview of the history of the creation of Beethoven's nine symphonies…we hope that the links we are providing to you will offer you possibilities for further reading and personal enrichment.”[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Ludwig van Beethovenhttp://www.lucare.com/immortal/From the site:“This site is devoted to the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven”[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Mad about Beethovenhttp://www.madaboutbeethoven.com/From the site:“In the pages of this website, he offers his unrivalled collection of photographs, as well as a comprehensive gallery of Beethoven’s family and friends, to take you into the heart and mind of the great composer.”

Beethoven, Philly Style – June, 2006http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?columnId=5477647From the site:“The Philadelphia Orchestra performs all nine of Beethoven's symphonies as part of a season-long tribute.”At this site you can listen to the performances, interviews with the conductor, and read the Program Notes for each performance.

Unheard Beethovenhttp://www.unheardbeethoven.org/From the site:“This website endeavors to make all of Beethoven's unrecorded music readily accessible to the public.

Thurs., Aug. 2, 2007 - Life on the Ohio and Erie Canal

The Library of Congress's American Folklife Center is pleased to announcea new presentation, "Captain Pearl R. Nye: Life on the Ohio and ErieCanal," now available on the Library's American Memory Web site at:http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/nye/

"Captain Pearl R. Nye: Life on the Ohio and Erie Canal" captures theculture and music of the men, women, and children who worked and livedalong the Ohio and Erie Canal. Nye, who was born and raised on a canalboat, never lost his love of the "Big Ditch." After the canal closedpermanently in 1913, he devoted considerable time and energy to preservingits songs and stories.

This presentation contains recordings of 75 songs, sung by Nye. The recordings were made by John, Alan, and Elizabeth Lomax, and Ivan Walton between June 1937 and September 1938. Lyrics for the recorded songs have been transcribed by Library staff and are available on the Web site as are song transcriptions, photographs, and personal letters Nye sent to the Library from July 1937 to October 1944.

Also included in this presentation is an essay called "An Informant In Search of a Collector: Captain Pearl R. Nye of Ohio" and a timeline that identifies significant events in the life of Nye and the history of theOhio and Erie Canal with which his life was so closely associated. A radioprogram excerpt from "Two Sailors: Sea Shanties and Canal Boat Ballads," part of the Library's "Ballad Hunter" series, provides additional insight into Nye's life.

Thurs., Aug. 2, 2007 - African American Literature in the 20th Century

This month’s feature focuses on the cultural and literary impact made by a number of African Americans at the dawn of the twentieth century.

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THE RISING ACTIONThis month’s featured content includes a photo essay that provides accounts of the lives and contributions of famous African Americans whose enduring endowments have helped shape the present literary and cultural landscape of the United States. In addition to information on popular figures like Maya Angelou, peruse the essay to learn about the violent childhood that undoubtedly influenced Richard Wright’s works Native Son and Black Boy or about Amiri Baraka’s contributions to politics as a black nationalist and his role during the avant-garde literary movement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

D’ENOUEMENTTo provide further background on the literary achievements made by African Americans in the early twentieth century, this month’s feature also includes a number of free subject articles taken from the African American Studies Center on topics like the Harlem Writer’s Guild, the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts movement, children’s literature written by African Americans, and the dual tradition of African American fiction. In addition, more than 20 free biographies of notable African American writers have been included.

Mon., July 30, 2007 - The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy

Today's site, from the well-known Bartleby's reference sources, offers thethird edition of this seminal work, covering a hugh range of topics whichconstitute cultural literacy in western society. Gentle Subscribers mayfind this an excellent spot for browsing as well as a general resource.

"The manifestation of one of the most influential modern educationaltheories, the 6,900 entries in this major new reference work form thetouchstone of what it means to be not only just a literate American but anactive citizen in our multicultural democracy. ... [authored by] E. D.Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil" - from the website

This compendium of information ranges from biblical references to finearts, from world geography to life sciences. In addition to theintroductory explanation of the theory of cultural literacy, each sectionbegins with notes on the relevancy of the subject and includes basicdefinitions of terms and notable names in the various disciplines. Thepresentation also includes a user guide and a handy index. One of the mostengaging topics for browsing is the idioms section, where the authorscomment on why a knowledge of the essentials of idiomatic usage is "derigueur", and how an easy familiarity will prove to be a "feather in one'scap".

Sweep over to the site for an excellent reference on basic culturalliteracy at:

Mon., July 30, 2007 - Lightning Bug Writing Resources

Lightning Bughttp://www.lightningbug.com.au/index.htmFrom the site:“Young adults are growing up younger and faster with more expected of them each day. Understanding how to write a good story is an extremely effective way to express a point of view. Young adults writing stories become empowered; they deserve to be and should be heard.”Site includes Teacher Resources and Writing Resources.

Mon., July 30, 2007 - Today's Military

Today’s Militaryhttp://www.todaysmilitary.com/app/tm/From the site:“The Today’s Military Web site is brought to you by the United States Department of Defense. The purpose of Todaysmilitary.com is not to advocate recruitment for any particular branch of the Armed Services. Instead, this site seeks to educate parents, teachers, and others about the opportunities and benefits available to young people in the Military today.”

Extraordinary Careershttp://www.todaysmilitary.com/app/tm/get/careersFrom the site:“What kind of career can a young person find in the Military? Just about any kind you can imagine. But it takes special types of people to fill these jobs. People who are passionate, selfless, and want to be part of something bigger.”

Mon., July 30, 2007 - Career Explorer / Developing Career Goals

Career Explorer: Your Career. Your Way.http://www.careerexplorer.net/From the site:“Once you have found the right career, you can request information from as many schools as you'd like that offer your program. It's that simple. Find a program that interests you, request the information, and begin your new direction!”Site includes job descriptions and free career assessment test.

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Developing Career Goalshttp://www.career.cornell.edu/exploration/goals/From the site:“Your career goals are likely to change many times throughout your life. Developing an initial focus will help you narrow your options and target appropriate employers or educational paths. Just remember that you may change your mind as you learn more about yourself, jobs, and employers.”